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The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Dr Zweli Mkhize, has welcomed an investigation into allegations that councillors and other politically connected individuals have been receiving inflated stipends under the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) in Matjhabeng Local Municipality in the Free State.
This follows the committee’s joint oversight visit to the Free State last week, where 23 municipalities appeared before the joint oversight delegation. The delegation also included some members from Parliament’s Standing Committees on Public Accounts and the Auditor-General, as well as the Free State Provincial Legislature.
Following the committee’s interrogation of the state of Matjhabeng’s finances, the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Mr Dean Macpherson, announced his decision to suspend EPWP funding to Matjhabeng Local Municipality. The Chairperson said the committee has been aware of the allegations and supports a comprehensive, multi-stakeholder investigation, which combines the efforts of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, the Free State MECs for Finance and COGTA and the Office of the Premier of the Free State. He said during the oversight engagement with Matjhabeng municipality, the committee learned that while the irregular payments involve a limited number of individuals, the complete suspension of EPWP funding will affect hundreds of poor EPWP workers receiving R2 600 per month, many of whom are not implicated in any wrongdoing.
The Chairperson has proposed that stipends be suspended only for the implicated individuals until the investigation is completed. He advised against cutting off funding to all EPWP workers, warning that most participants are vulnerable and depend on the small stipend to make ends meet. “While any abuse of public funds must be met with swift and decisive action, it is critical that investigations are targeted and that innocent beneficiaries are not penalised,” the Chairperson said. “We cannot allow the poor to suffer for the misdeeds of a few. Those found guilty must face disciplinary and criminal consequences, but the programme itself must continue to serve its intended purpose – to provide short-term work opportunities to the unemployed.”
The Chairperson stated that although some of the allegations may be driven by politics or confusion about internal staffing, it’s important for the process to be transparent and based on clear evidence and not hearsay. He further called for public participation and oversight at the municipal level to be strengthened, stating that communities must be engaged in the design and monitoring of public employment programmes. “Mayors and municipal managers must regularly consult communities and account for their spending. Citizens must be given avenues to report concerns and submit evidence,” he said.
The committee will request a consolidated report from the minister, the MECs and the Provincial Treasury within three months. The report must include updates on disciplinary action taken, financial recovery efforts and measures to prevent recurrence. The findings will be tabled in Parliament for further scrutiny.
The Chairperson reiterated that the Matjhabeng case shows the need for constitutional oversight at all levels. “If municipalities fail to perform, provinces must intervene. If provinces neglect their oversight duty, national government must act. That is how the Constitution envisages cooperative governance,” he said.
Dr Mkhize said Matjhabeng provides a chance to set a national example. “We must act firmly against corruption but fairly. Our fight is not against the EPWP, but against its abuse, and we have to protect the integrity of the system while safeguarding the rights of those it was designed to serve,” he said.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.